USS Pioneer (NCC-63)
|registry=NCC-63 |affiliation=Federation, Starfleet (fm. United Earth, United Earth Starfleet) |launched=22nd century |status=Active (2166) |commander=Captain Malcolm Reed, Captain Caroline Paris |altimage= }} The USS Pioneer (NCC-63) was an United Earth starship in United Earth Starfleet service during the mid-22nd century. Following the end of the Earth-Romulan War and the founding of the Federation, the ship became part of the newly formed Federation Starfleet. History Early missions In the year 2162, the Pioneer underwent major refits at San Francisco Navy Yards Orbital Facility, and newly promoted Captain Malcolm Reed took command of the ship. By February 2163, the Pioneer was dispatched to Hansen's Planet to investigate. First officer Travis Mayweather led an away team to the planet, to observe the native lifeforms. The locals became aggressive and attacked the away team. Due to the newly found dangers of the transporters, Captain Reed didn't want to risk a beam up, so he detonated a photonic torpedo in the planet's atmosphere to scare off the attackers. A month later, the Pioneer returned to Earth, to be the testbed for Tobin Dax's experiments to solve the problems created by mixed technologies from Federation members. During a trial run for the warp drive, the deflector shield interfered with the warp field, creating an unstable wormhole and throwing the disabled Pioneer on a collision course with a super-Jovian planet. The Pioneer was rescued by sentient Jovian whales that lived in the upper levels of the planet's atmosphere. Using their own bodies, the whales kept the ship from sinking into the depths of the gas giant and being crushed, buying enough time for the crew to finish engine repairs. Dax's team and engineers on the Pioneer were able to use the data gathered while in the wormhole to design a much more robust warp field. This allowed Federation starships to use warp engines at full power, while deflector shields were engaged. Once the warp drive was repaired, the crew of the Pioneer were able to take their findings back to the Federation and the lessons learned were applied throughout Starfleet. On October 2163, Pioneer picked up a distress call in the Kandari sector. A Lorillian freighter was attacked by a Klingon privateer ship, but by the time Pioneer arrived the Klingons had left with the freighter's cargo and killed most of its crew. However a group of engineers survived and were rescued. After rendering proper medical attention, the survivors were dropped off at a safe location. In May, 2164, Pioneer visited Tau Ceti IV with hopes that the local Kaferians can be persuaded to join the Federation. Despite the crew's efforts, the reclusive Kaferians were only interested in trading. Rigel system Shortly after this, Admiral Jonathan Archer tasked Pioneer with the further exploration of the Rigel system while their admission into the Federation was being discussed on Babel Station. During a cultural exchange in the archives of Rigel V, the landing party was caught in the middle of a raid. Critical files were stolen, and the thiefs kidnapped Communications officer Bodor chim Grev and Ship's Historian Samuel Kirk. Pioneer began a system wide search. With the help of Captain T'Pol and the they were able to uncover the plans of the First Families of Rigel and the Orion Syndicate to destabilize the Rigelian Trade Commission and keep the system out of the Federation. Pioneer managed to retrieve the stolen files and their crew members before permanent damage had been done, and Rigel was accepted into the Federation. The Ware By February, 2165, Pioneer had been charged with exploration of new territories whitch were inaccessible before because of the Romulans and the Vertians. Shortly after entering the new region, Pioneer came across an automated station, similar to the one ran into thirteen years earlier. The Menaik ship was docked at the station, and Captain Reed decided to make first contact and warn them about the dangers of the station. During their talk, the crew learned that the native species in the region call it the Ware and had been dependent on the technology for generations. On Reed's orders, a team infiltrated the station and rescued two pepole, one of them the Menaik passenger named Nimthu abducted from the Velelev, but lost Crewman Clifton Detzel. After the team fled the trading post, Pioneer destroyed it and set a course for the Menaik homeworld to drop off Nimthu. On the way there a Ware battleship intercepted Pioneer, disabled her, and took back the two liberated prisoners. In the aftermath of the attack Pioneer was crippled, her warp engine too badly damaged to be repaired in deep space, and suffered multiple casualties. The was dispatched to tow her back to Vulcan Space Central for repairs. Following the repairs and upgrades to the ship, Pioneer was dispatched with a task force by Admiral Archer to Ware territory to learn everything they can about them and neutralize any threat to the Federation without starting a war. After this, Tobin Dax decided to leave the ship, because of the dangers he had put the symbiont through. Tobin's temporary replacement was Philip Collier (Trip Tucker in disguise) who was accompanied by a team of experts from Abramson Industries including Olivia Akomo. Pioneer spent months searching for facts in the region, while the task force remained at the edge of the sector. The crew of the Pioneer visited several world including the Kyraw homeworld and Vanot and learned how the Ware were using innocent people to suit their own needs, some times driving them to extinction, but failed to learn who created them or what their real goals were. Eventually they learned the location of the Ware hub complex and with the aid of the task force, they were able to take the facility. They sent over and engineering team to shut down the Ware, but a sizable force of Ware battleships arrived to retake the complex led by the two Pebru and Daskel Vabion, a rich inventor from Vanot who captured Travis Mayweather and his away team on the planet and wanted to take control of the Ware. Pioneer and the task force engaged them to buy some time for the team on the station. With the help of Vabion who changed sides for his own benefit, Collier was able to access the Ware software, but instead of using them for their own advantege, he gave the means to Mayweather to shut them down, saving the heavly damaged task force and freeing countless prisoners from Ware captivity. Following the end of the mission into Ware space, the Pioneer returned to Earth for repairs and refit. Just before the vessel's launch in March, 2166, Captain Reed was reassigned for a new post and Captain Caroline Paris took command of the ship. Senior staff *Commanding officer: **Captain Malcolm Reed (2162-2166) **Captain Caroline Paris (from 2166) *First officer: **Lieutenant Commander Travis Mayweather (from 2162) *Chief engineer: **Commander Alan Sheehan (2162-2163) **Doctor Tobin Dax (2163-2165) **Philip Collier (temporarily, 2165) *Science officer: **Lieutenant Reynaldo Sangupta (from 2162) *Tactical officer/armory officer: **Lieutenant Valeria Williams (from 2162) *Communications officer: **Ensign Bodor chim Grev (from 2162) *Helm officer: **Ensign Regina Tallarico (from 2162) *Chief medical officer: **Doctor Therese Liao (from 2162) Category:Intrepid class (Earth) Category:Federation starships Category:Earth starships Category:Earth Starfleet starships Category:Federation light cruisers